


Silver Bells

by quelling



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Children, Christmas, Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Mild Language, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 03:30:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/605351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quelling/pseuds/quelling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is away helping Chris Argent during the holidays while Stiles and their three kids anxiously await his return in time for Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silver Bells

**Author's Note:**

> As requested by zombiewretch: "I LOVE parent!Sterek. Just fluffy, paternal goodness as a whole and seeing them in a family situation down the line just makes my heart melt so ANYTHING with this."
> 
> Warning: Excessive fluff. 
> 
> Unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine.

**Silver Bells: A Very Sterek Christmas**

 

Stiles rolled to a stop in front of Beacon Hills Elementary school, put the SUV into park and turned up the heat. The day was cold and windy, and as it progressed, the temperature was dropping. It was the last day of school before the Christmas break, and he was looking forward to the holidays. 

Soon, his three children would pour out of the school and into the vehicle, but for the moment, Stiles was enjoying the peace and quiet. He had plans to take them Christmas shopping today, they needed to stop by the grocery store as well. With Derek out of town, he tried to keep them busy so they wouldn't worry. He only wished it worked for himself as well.

Things had changed drastically in Beacon Hills post-Gerard Argent and then the Alpha Pack. That was probably the darkest time for their coterie, but it had been solidifying in the harshest way possible. When being attacked from without, a group of people had to bond within -- if they wanted to survive. They had not only survived, but they had also thrived.

They'd lost Boyd and Erica (or not as Stiles had once pointed out - the pair had chosen to leave), but Derek had gained Scott and Allison, along with Stiles, as committed pack members. All these years later, they still were and were all the stronger for it.

Stiles and Derek were their own unit now, within the pack whole. It had been a gradual thing. Stiles had been convinced his attraction was one-sided for so long, even as he left for college after high school, but it was Derek that most visited him at Stanford. It still wasn't until his sophomore year was about to begin that Stiles realized he could actually have the relationship with the sometimes taciturn Alpha he'd only fantasized about since he was sixteen. And apparently it had been developing all along, without his conscious knowledge.

The end of summer after his freshman year arrived fast after a break filled with pack bonding and fun, and the pack had been loading up Stiles' jeep with stuff for his dorm. He'd really wanted to move into his own apartment this year, but his scholarship covered classes _and_ dorm, so Stiles really couldn't see forcing his dad to pay for his housing out of pocket.

Derek was carrying a box out of the house, not even breaking a sweat despite its contents, heavy books, when he told everyone else to meet back at his place. The Alpha shared a small house, not too far from the Stilinskis, with Isaac. The younger werewolf had just graduated from high school and would be joining Stiles at university.

Stiles could only look at him amused once the rest had driven away. "Wanted to talk to me alone, huh?"

Derek had the decency to look embarrassed at his transparency. "Yes, actually," he replied honestly.

"Is this where I get the lecture to watch out for Isaac? To not let him wolf out in polite company? To make sure he's safe during full moons? To make sure he studies more than he parties?" Stiles grinned. "Because you know, college drinking won't _even_ be a problem for him."

Derek shook his head, putting the final box on the back seat since the rear was full, and then turning toward Stiles. The expression on his face was so confused, so flustered that Stiles actually felt a little worry. "Hey, you all right? You know we're all coming back," he assured him. "Thanksgiving will be here before you know it." Maybe Isaac leaving for school was hitting Derek harder than he'd ever expected. And why did that bother him so much? Derek had seemed downright cheerful when Stiles had left the previous year, but apparently he was closer to Isaac? Maybe Isaac was more important to him?

Derek frowned and Stiles decided to stop making guesses. He merely leaned back, his shoulders against the side of the Jeep and looked at Derek expectantly. "Spit it out when you're ready. I don't _have_ to be there until tomorrow."

The Alpha gave him one of his patented _Stiles, where is your common sense?_ glares, with eyebrows and everything, before reaching out a putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder. The touch was -- gentle and that caught Stiles off guard more than anything. As did the warmth that traveled from the point of contact down to his stomach where it pooled and bloomed into feelings that usually made Stiles worry for the health of his heart. And his sanity.

"Woah, dude, you okay?" Stiles whispered, uncertain. Derek actually had an incredibly expressive face if you paid attention, and his features visibly softened.

"Stiles."

The young man in question was still trying to figure out what Derek even meant, saying his name like that when Derek placed his palms on either side of Stiles' head, leaning against the Jeep toward him. He didn't stop leaning until their lips met. _Woah!_

Stiles didn't hesitate over the situation, not when Derek was kissing him, so he opened his mouth to him in welcome and consent. He could get behind this kind of goodbye, yes he certainly could. And Derek's mouth was so damn hot, moving against his like he was savoring every moment, every taste. Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulders, hauling him in closer, yet Derek kept his palms planted firmly on the Jeep's exterior. Stiles didn't even notice, too busy tasting the other man's mouth for the first time, his stomach spinning with butterflies.

When Derek finally broke away, it took Stiles a moment to break out of his trance, as if hypnotized by Derek's tantalizing mouth, but once he did, he found Derek gazing at him with naked affection. "Derek?" Stiles sounded bewildered.

"You're the smartest person I know," Derek finally spoke. "But about this, you're so damn dumb. Did you really not notice when we started dating?"

Ouch. That should hurt, but honestly, it only made Stiles grin. "I don't recall you ever asking me out on a date, Wolf Man."

Derek growled, but there was only teasing in it. "How about all those weekends I drove all the way to see you, and only you, last year and took you out to dinner?"

"Those were dates?!" Stiles cried, baffled. "I thought you were just checking up on me!"

Derek had rolled his eyes at him, but then they were kissing again and Stiles decided he'd happily consider that last year as dating. 

Stiles remembered that first kiss fondly as he looked at his phone for the time. Five more minutes until the bell rang and his three kids would pile in the car.

He had finished at Stanford, earning a degree in history before moving back to Beacon Hills. During his time away at school, several things changed. For one, Derek and the Sheriff had become good friends when Stiles' father had finally been let in on the secret that werewolves resided in his town. That wasn't nearly so shocking as the fact that the Sheriff, Chris Argent and Derek had all begun working together.

Chris Argent's attitude had altered a great deal once he witnessed Gerard's insanity in the warehouse. The career Hunter had begun spending less time hunting dangerous werewolves and more time enforcing the code on other Hunters. And considering Scott McCall became his son-in-law four years after Allison had graduated from high school, he was a lot more tolerant of the local werewolf pack. Tolerance that eventually led to an alliance of sorts. Derek sometimes went with him, whenever they received warning that rogue hunters were planning to attack innocent werewolves, to stop them. Sometimes they got there too late, but sometimes they weren't, and it was worth it whenever they were successful in saving lives.

With his history degree, not only did Stiles now provide their own pack with expertise in werewolf lore, but he was also a consultant for other supernaturals throughout the United States. He was usually hired by other werewolf packs for research, but it wasn't unheard of for the occasional witch to contact him for his savvy. Until their first child was born, Stiles was a hands-on researcher, often traveling, but since Benjamin's birth, he worked freelance from home.

Their oldest child, Ben, was born via surrogate a few years after Derek and Stiles married. Derek was the biological father, at Stiles' insistence. Despite his paternity, Ben was fully human, but he already asked for the bite daily. Derek would simply ruffle his hair and tell him he had to wait until he was sixteen to make that decision. 

They'd discussed repeating the process with Stiles' being the donor, but fate brought the twins to them in it's own way. A very pregnant omega had sought refuge with the Hale pack, fleeing an abusive relationship. She'd actually killed her ex in her attempt to flee and to protect her unborn child(ren), and Derek had allowed her to stay safely in their territory. She'd asked Stiles and Derek to take care of her baby if anything ever happened to her, and they'd agreed, of course, never expecting it to be an issue. It was as if she knew though, and perhaps she did, because she passed away during childbirth despite all of Deaton's efforts to save her. Derek and Stiles found themselves fathering two newborn werewolves. Two year old Ben had been thrilled to have werewolf siblings, who they named Laura and Carter.

Now in fourth grade, Stiles spied their oldest leading his younger brother and sister out of the elementary school, an arm around each. It made Stiles heart swell a bit with pride, seeing his children, and they were all smiles when the climbed into the backseat. Ben and Laura did most of the talking, as Carter was more quiet than the other two, yet being crushed between his siblings with their constant pats and smiles, it was obvious he felt very much a part of their chatter.

"Is Papa home?" they all asked in unison.

Stiles had to shake his head. "Not yet, but he promised he'd be home by Christmas Eve, so don't you worry. You know he keeps his promises," he reminded them. "So, how about we go Christmas shopping? And if we have time, we can cut a tree before dark too!" He decided against the grocery store. He'd probably ask his dad or Isaac to watch them so he could handle that task alone tomorrow.

His plan met with approval, even Carter cheered loudly, and so he put the car in drive and headed to the mall.

***

It was dark when they arrived home from shopping and eating at the food court, a sleepy Carter yawning as they all brought in their sacks full of presents. They would have family time on Christmas morning before his father and the pack joined them at lunch, but at least they had presents for everyone now. The trio had thoroughly enjoyed picking things out for everyone on their list, but the task had worn them out. Stiles got them all bathed, teeth brushed and pajamas on before tucking them into their beds. He sometimes thought it was a useless endeavor, keeping three separate rooms when more often than not they all ended up in the same bed by morning.

Stiles had checked his cell phone incessantly all evening, trying to be subtle about it so the kids wouldn't see his anxiety. Derek usually texted frequently when he was away, but Stiles hadn't heard from him since lunch. He slipped into their bedroom, closing the door and sitting on the edge of the bed as toed off his shoes. He called his husband only to reach his voicemail. _Damn._

He stripped the rest of the way and got into the shower, letting the hot water ease his tension as much as possible. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Derek, that was never an issue, but he was worried. They stayed in close contact, it was just their thing, and it was concerning to have silence for this many hours in a day. To outsiders, it might seem overly-dependent, but outsiders would never understand werewolves and their bonds. Stiles had lived with them long enough to know that Derek found strength from his pack and from his loved ones; they were one in the same.

When he crawled under the cold sheets that night, Stiles lay awake for hours. He kept reaching for Derek, finally settling on pressing his face against his pillow. He might not have supernatural senses, but the smell of his husband was nevertheless soothing.

Tomorrow he and the children would finish decorating for Christmas by wrapping presents and putting up a tree, but if he didn't hear from Derek by sunrise, Stiles would be calling Isaac or Scott to track down the Alpha and the Hunter.

At some point during the night, Stiles finally fell into a restless asleep, only to wake up to the beep of his phone. He snatched it off the night stand and breathed a sigh of relief.

**Bad day. Worse night. We were too late. Be home tomorrow evening. Have gift for you.**

Stiles frowned at the screen. When did Derek have time to shop for a gift? That was the smallest of his concerns though. He knew Derek would take the loss of innocent lives hard, he always did. Stiles did as well, and he hated it for all of them. 

He texted back.

**We'll be here waiting for you. We miss you. I'm sorry.**

He received a reply almost immediately.

**Sorry too. So is Argent. At least we stopped the rogues from ever doing it again. Miss you too. Kiss kids.**

Stiles sighed. He was probably more in love with Derek now than when they married, as if that were posible.

**You should sleep. Be safe.**

He slept better when he closed his eyes for the second time that night.

***

Stiles awoke to a bouncing bed, elbows in his side and a knee against his neck. He cracked open his eyes to three children all piled atop and around him. "Dad! Hey Dad! Can we go cut down a tree now?"

"Please tell me the sun is up at least?" Stiles groaned at them.

"It's been up! We ate cereal. Come on, let's go!" That was Laura's voice, all of it echoed by the other two.

Stiles wiggled under the covers. "How do you expect me to get up when you're all on top of me?" he complained with a grin.

They all giggled, moving off so he could sit up. "Go. Get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs," he instructed them. The giggles turned to whoops as they raced out his bedroom door. "And dress warmly!" he called after them, mainly for Ben's benefit. The two werewolves usually ran hot.

Once they were all dressed, they filed out the front door. During Stiles' last year at Stanford, Derek had razed the former Hale home and rebuilt it, actually hiring a construction crew for most of the work. It had been a significant milestone, a step in the grief process that had lessened a lot of weight from Derek's shoulders - or perhaps he was only able to rebuild because he'd taken those steps mentally. In any case, it was their home, and it felt right living there. Their three kids didn't know anything else, and Stiles was glad they'd have no memory of the burnt-out husk that had stood here for so many years before. It was a short walk into the woods from their front porch, Stiles following behind and carrying a small saw. 

Carter looked to his Dad for permission and Stiles gave it, his younger son wolfing out and taking off at a run on all fours. Stiles watched him with a slight smile, a little surprised that Laura wasn't doing the same. Apparently she was too intent on picking out the perfect tree.

Ben stopped in front of a small fir, hands on his hips in a stance that looked so much like his Papa that Stiles had to catch his breath. Ben was like Derek in so many ways, protective of his siblings (and his parents) above all else, much like Derek treated them too, as well as the pack. Ben was sassy, but would usually rely on his dark eyebrows to express his sarcasm whereas Laura was all about the verbal. 

"No, Ben. You call that a Christmas tree? Give it another year and it _might_ be a tree," Laura was shaking her head at him.

Ben frowned at her, but started walking again and Stiles had to hide his grin. For all her outspokeness, Laura listened to Ben on the important things. Apparently their tree wasn't important enough to defer.

Ah, but agreement was the best solution of all when they stopped in front of the same fir at the same time, both pointing and looking at their Dad. "This one," they spoke in unison. 

Carter, having heard them, ran up and nodded in silent agreement. Stiles looked it over, agreeing with their decision and proceeded to cut it down. All four of them put a hand on it as they took it back to the house.

"Smells like snow," Laura commented once they reached the porch, sniffing the air. "We'll get snow tonight!"

"Ahh, a white Christmas, perhaps?" Stiles smiled." I'm gonna go inside and get the stand," he added. An hour later, the tree stood by the front window, a silver star on top and lights glowing. The decorations were mostly hand-made by the kids, and some Stiles had from his own childhood. Not for the first time, he wished his Mom were around to know these little people that made him so happy. 

It was especially poignant when he hung a star on their front door, made entirely of silver bells that tinkled every time it opened or closed. He could recall his mother hanging that same star at the Stilinski home when he was growing up, and he was glad all over again that his father had given him the box of decorations when he married Derek. He shut the front door after securing it, the bells ringing softly behind him.

"Food!" he called, distracting himself from melancholy. It was time to fix something to eat for lunch.

At some point, Carter had shifted back into human, and began setting the table while Stiles warmed up homemade chili. 

"Can we make cookies tonight?" Laura asked, putting away the jar of mayo for her Dad.

"Your Papa's going to be home tonight," Stiles answered with a grin. "Maybe we should do cookies tomorrow so he can help."

There was a chorus of cheers at the news, and Stiles checked his phone. Sure enough, Derek had texted that they were on the road and should be in Beacon Hills shortly after dark. 

"We should wrap presents after lunch," Stiles suggested. He was going to put off getting groceries. Surely they wouldn't sell out of turkeys before he could get there, or else he could just persuade Derek to go in the next few days. Derek did most of the cooking anyway.

***

Stiles liked to keep the drapes pulled back on the main window in their living room. He could sit on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table and watch the kids play outside. Or simply stare into the forest while the kids watched the television in the den. Tonight they were playing video games and he was staring at the Christmas tree. He could hear the occasional squabble, but nothing serious enough to garner an intervention.

Instead, he was thinking about the purpose of Derek's trip away, of the pack that had been decimated. He was relieved to know Derek was safe, but he wouldn't be content until he was home. Dark was fast approaching when his trio padded in their socked feet into the living room and crawled onto the sofa to cuddle against him. 

"They heard Mr. Argent's SUV," Ben divulged. "Turning onto the road."

Stiles grinned. Five more minutes and Derek would be back. He loved having werewolf ears working for him. They were all content to sit together, his arms somehow managing to hug each of them at the same time, until even Stiles could hear the approaching vehicle. They stood, the kids slipping on shoes quickly and then all walked out the door onto the wide porch. The kids were waving when Chris Argent drove up. The hunter parked some distance from the house, which wasn't unusual; he was respectful of Derek's 'den' even when invited into his territory, like now.

Derek was smiling broadly when he jumped out of the vehicle, as if proud to see his family waiting. Even Argent was smiling a bit, which confused Stiles a little. True, they were allies, but considering the tragedy they'd just left, he didn't expect to see the hunter in a good mood.

Derek met them half-way across the lawn, embracing Stiles, kissing him on the mouth quickly before bending to pick up the kids and swinging them around. Stiles looked over to see Argent bending his head around to the back seat of his SUV, and Stiles gave Derek a curious look.

Derek's smile faded, but only slightly. Not in anger, but in seriousness. "The trip wasn't a complete loss. We were able to save someone," he murmured, pressing his lips to Stiles' temple before striding back to Argent's car.

Stiles watched, as did their kids, as Derek reached into the backseat and gently lifted out a baby. Stiles heard Carter gasp, and then Laura whisper. "It's a werewolf baby."

A glance at Ben, and Stiles noted his oldest had a similar, serious expression on his features, matching Derek's near perfectly;his protective instincts had kicked in.

Derek was striding toward them. "They'd hidden her, when the hunters came," he explained as Stiles raced over to close the distance between them. 

"Oh my god," Stiles breathed out, and looked between Derek and the sleeping infant, all bundled in a blanket.

"Merry Christmas? I brought you another child?" Derek murmured, sounding a bit awed by it all still.

Suddenly Stiles was crying. His heart ached that this baby had lost it's entire family, it's pack. He hated to think how long she had been alone before Derek and Argent had arrived. He reached to take the baby from Derek's arms, cuddling her against his chest. In the next instant, their children surrounded him and he knelt so they could all look at her too.

"I'll just put these boxes on your porch?" Argent offered. Stiles heard Derek give his agreement and offer of thanks, and then he was kneeling with the rest of his family, their children meeting their newest family member.

Stiles finally found the presence of mind to clear his throat, though his face was wet with tears. "We should go inside," he pointed out. Derek put a hand on his elbow, helping him stand and they didn't even notice when Argent drove away.

"The boxes?" Stiles asked as they passed them on the porch.

"I packed most of her things from home. I thought she'd like having something from her past, and familiar things around at first. The scent on them will comfort her while she gets used to us," Derek answered, opening the front door. The silver bells chimed as they entered.

"Do you know her name? Her age?" Stiles peered at his husband. The kids were all asking for turns holding her, so he promised them each a turn if they went to sit on the couch quietly for a few minutes. They clamored away.

"I couldn't find a birth certificate. She might have been born at home. The pack was - rural. They seemed self-sufficient. Apparently they didn't have much contact with outsiders. We estimate she's about six months old," Derek nodded at her, looking a little sad. "I couldn't find a record of her name either."

Stiles sighed, cupping a palm over her round head. The wind picked up outside, blowing the star on the door, making the bells chime again, and just like that, he knew.

"I'd like to name her Silver," he stated, meeting Derek's eyes.

Derek smirked at him then. "You want to name a werewolf - Silver?"

Stiles lifted a brow. "Do you have something against irony?" he challenged him with a grin. "Besides, she can't be harmed by something she is; Deaton always says there's power in a name."

Derek threw back his head and laughed before pressing a sound kiss to his husband's mouth while the sleeping baby cooed between them. "Fine. Silver Hale. You get to explain it to the Argents," he teased. "Now, I expect you'd better let the other kiddos hold her before we have a mutiny."

Stiles stuck his tongue out at Derek, which only made him chuckle again.

A few minutes later and Ben was holding Silver, Derek watching over them with his arms around Stiles. They wished she had her biological family, but he and Derek were more than happy to take her into their own. Their family felt complete now, and they hadn't even realized they'd been missing a member.

"Merry Christmas, Stiles," Derek whispered near his ear.

"Mmm, I love you. Merry Christmas," Stiles murmured back. 

_Silver bells, silver bells,_  
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,  
Soon it will be Christmas day. 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas 2012!


End file.
